Michigan and UFOs

Those of us who scan over UFO sighting reports on a daily basis normally see witnesses send in reports from all corners of the earth. These reports generally are spread fairly evenly across the United States and Great Britain, with a few from other countries. But, now and then, we begin to see an unusually large number of reports from one location.

Lately, an abnormal number of reports have come from Michigan, which is a state with a rich UFO history.

This recent "flap" of sightings began in August, and continues to this day. Here is a bit of history of famous UFO sightings in Michigan, followed by sighting reports from the recent wave.

1953 -The Loss of Scorpion Aircraft

One of the most well known cases in Michigan involves the loss of the lives of pilot Lieutenant Felix Moncla, Jr., and the normally forgotten radar operator, 2nd Lieutenant R. Wilson. This case is detailed in my article, 1953 - Scorpion Jet Lost Chasing UFO.

When an Air Defense Command Ground Intercept radar controller at Truax AFB picked up an unknown target on November 23, 1953, an F-89C Scorpion jet was scrambled from Kinross Field. Pursuing the UFO at 500 mph, the Scorpion gained ground, but the UFO abruptly changed course.

Moncla had difficulty tracking the UFO on radar, and relied on ground control to point him to the object. After 30 minutes of chasing the UFO, the Scorpion began to bridge the gap on the UFO, now over Lake Superior.

Finally, according to ground control, Moncla and Wilson flew close enough to their target that the two radar blips merged into one.

Thinking that the Scorpion had flown over or under the UFO, it was expected that the one blip would soon become two again. This was not to be.

To the operator's surprise, there was no radar return at all. Messages to the Scorpion went unanswered, and an emergency message was sent to Search and Rescue. The last position marked was off of Keweenaw Point. The Search and Rescue team, though making an all out effort, came up empty.

The official conclusion to this mystery was: "... the pilot probably suffered from vertigo and crashed into the lake." Several alternative explanations were offered, all without evidence. One even claimed that the Scorpion exploded in mid air. But, if so, what happened to the UFO? Or was there a mid air collision? We may never know.

1966 - UFO Lands at Vicksburg

On March 31, 1966, Hungarian refugee, Jeno Udvardy, was driving home from work in the early morning hours near Vicksburg. As he came over the crest of a hill, he was shocked to see a grouping of lights on the road ahead. He thought it might be an ambulance, or other emergency vehicles.

He slowed down as he edged closer to the lights ahead. He soon realized the lights were coming from a disc-shaped object, hovering just above the road.

When within about 10 feet of the lights, he suddenly realized that they were not on any recognizable vehicle. Instead they were on a disc-shaped object hovering a few feet above the road and blocking his passage. The lights were so intense it made it was difficult to discern the exact shape of the UFO.

He soon felt his car moved by what seemed to be a great gust of wind. Looking behind his car, he saw what he thought was another UFO, but looking back, he realized the first object had somehow moved from the front to the rear of his vehicle. Trying to make an escape, he found that his car would not start.

Sticking his head out of the window, he could hear a low, humming sound. Shortly thereafter, the UFO rose up, and sped away. He later reported his encounter with the Kalamazoo Sheriff's office, but his report received only skepticism. His case was never properly investigated.